At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Muskan Mangwani for an interview with BrilliantRead Media. She is a Leading Psychologist and Mental Health Coach, Entrepreneur, Speaker for Mental Awareness in India, Life Coach, Change Enabler and Influencer. Let’s learn more about her background, her inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Muskan:
Could you please take us through your background and your journey?
The journey has been a rollercoaster since 2016, I felt my calling towards psychology ran towards my mom and expressed my choice of being into psych.
Mental health as a subject was very unfamiliar to everyone then, Later I found in my higher grades if I wanted to take psychology as a subject I had to get into the arts stream which was definitely not my choice of field.
Since I scored extremely well in science, I always had keen knowledge about biology. I landed up in PCB and assumed the pack has to move towards medical sciences, So I cracked, THE ALL INDIA EXAMINATION FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES. The journey was moving well, people treat you with respect when they get to know you are going to serve the nation and study hard.
But in 2019 (during COVID) I crashed with two major realisations:
(1) India needs as many Psychologists as a crowd of physicians we have.
(2) I can get into Psych even if I come from science. (B.sc Hons in psychology) and the journey can definitely move till your PhDs and Mphil. I decided to choose my own education system, did 56+ courses purely on Neuroscience, psychology and Brain health.
Went through various research programmes. Studied with lectures & programmes of HARVARD. Early morning hours and my neuroanatomy notes kept me going through everyone asked me to think a zillion times before getting into real practice.
Dr Joe Dispenza and his work gave me the motivation to bring healing – science and reprogramming of the brain to INDIA. Went through so many unpaid internships, free research works and taught biology to grades 10-12th ( so that I can earn enough to pay for more courses)
Currently, I have started practising Psychology and life coaching parallel which has helped thousands of people just in the span of two years. People from Middle-class Indian Households have started giving importance to mental health, and are eager to work on themselves with a professional. That’s my win today when a sixteen-year-old is planning to think or talk about Mental Health her parents won’t be scared anymore.”
Today, the same people who were doubting my shift are applauding for me in the crowd people definitely respect when you are doing the right work whether it is medical help or mental help. Your intentions must never change and the learning process should keep on going.
How did you discover your passion as a mental health coach?
Well, during my medical studies when I was left alone studying for hours, lonely trying my best to come as the best of doctors in the nation.
Three of my batchmates committed suicide and made me think about how will we help others or the nation when we need healing first, we need someone to hear us when we are wanting help in Mental Health.
I took responsibility, felt like It was me who has to save everyone from those dark hours, my head filled of self-doubt, tears of pain for never being enough.
Deep down in my heart I said, Muskan Mangwani you have to bring Muskan in INDIA, to anyone going through pain alone, I genuinely and deeply wanted to take care of everyone’s mental health in India.
The day I healed my inner child, met myself again and flourished as a human I realised, your world around begins in the head, make sure it’s a beautiful place to live by.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
> Courageous enough to follow my heart with actions in the right direction.
> Highly Attracted towards Self Growth/Development
> Confident and accepting towards flaws and lows of life
> Meeting my inner self at every step, I don’t want to ever forget what I am meant for? Reminding myself WHO AM I? and I keep on nurturing myself spiritually.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
– Get immune to failures and rejections.
– Especially at a young age get comfortable with not everything going your way.
– Before the world turns and moulds you in a certain way, make sure you’ve met yourself not once in a lifetime. But everyday, be okay and comfortable with knowing yourself, and accepting what needs to be changed
– Quit blame games, No one except YOU – YOURSELF can bring to the table what you actually desire, so rather than draining yourself with complaints, START CHANGING YOURSELF,
Your life around is definitely a reflection of your inner world.
What is your advice for our readers?
I can guarantee you the most interesting journey of your life, will be of meeting yourself back again.
The most spiritual task you can do is honouring yourself as a human who deserves peace happiness and love as naturally as the air around us. And IT’S POSSIBLE. Working on your personality is meant to change your personal reality.
I am looking forward to a nation, where people are busy developing themselves and not sitting and arguing for what’s going around in the news. The Seed of Real power lies in you.
What about your journey makes it satisfying?
Every morning getting DMs like, “Ma’am Slept so well last night”. “Ma’am feels like you’ve made my mind so light”
From people who came in complaining of insomnia, self-doubts, overthinking, anxiety, relationship issues, to the same people writing….”I never knew life can be this beautiful”, “I am excited to see my next blessing in life”
“I am in love with life, who said quitting was an option”?
I have some beautiful messages, poems and cards given by my clients to me. Showered by their love, commitment and discipline. The results make me wonder, when did life become so difficult for humans?
Working on mental health making everyone taste peace and self-love makes me satisfied with my work.”
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
